Wisconsin brings back Howard Moore as hoops assistant coach

MADISON, Wis. (AP) Howard Moore is returning to Wisconsin as an assistant coach to fill a vacancy on the Badgers' staff left by the abrupt retirement of coach Bo Ryan.

Interim coach Greg Gard announced Moore's hiring Tuesday.

Moore is a former head coach at Illinois-Chicago who was working with the Big Ten Network as an analyst. Moore was an assistant for Ryan from 2005-10, serving on the same staff with Gard. Moore also played at Wisconsin in the early 1990s.

Gard called it a ''home run'' to hire Moore given the timing of Ryan's midseason departure. Wisconsin now has three assistants again after Gard was promoted.

The Badgers host Green Bay on Wednesday in Gard's debut as interim coach.